Separating gases or vapors



Patented Aug. 16, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT ori-"icsf cmrronn GWILYM HARRIS, or srooxron on runs, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR ro mrEarAr. CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES LIMITED, or LONDON, ENGLAND, A ooRronArIoN. or

GREAT BRITAIN 30 Drawing. Application filed August 20, 1930, Serial No. 476,711, and in Great Britain October 84, 1828.

With respect to the-separation of olefines,

with which, the present invention is particularly concerned,'it is known that unsaturated hydrocarbons, e. g., ethylene, are absorbed by active carbon or the like and it has been proposed .to separate olefines. fromcoal gas by this method.

This invention has as an object an improved process of separating gases by adsorption; Another object is an improved process of this character which is of especial. value in-ettecting a separation of olefines.

Theseobjects are accomplished by the following invention in -;which'*themixed gases are contacted with an adsorbent largely saturated witlrwater vapor.

As illustrative ofspecific means for at: taining the objects of the invention, a gaseous mixture-as for instance a mixture of olefines or a gas mixture containing an olefine or olefines, is brought lfltOCOIlilflCt with an adsorbent which is already largely saturated with a vapor or gas of aflinity for the adsorbent intermediate between those of the substances which it is desired to separate. In this way the adsorptive capacity of the adsorbent i. e., the volume of gas taken up per unit volume of adsorbent, under these conditions is less than with the ordinary adsorbent, but it has been found nevertheless that the selective absorptive effect of the adsorbent is magnified since the constituent of lower afiinity than the already present gas or vapor remains practically unabsorbed, whereas the constituent of higher afiinity displaces the already present substance to some extent. Furthermore, when the saturated mass is treated for the recovery of the air sorbed gases or vapors, a gas is obtained which contains the constituent of higher affinit'y in considerably greater proportion than the original mixture. A fractionation of unsaturated hydrocarbons isthus "permitted, and the separat-e'fraction recovered after one treatment can be subjected again to a similar process until substantially pure hydrocarbons are isolated, or if desired, further separation may be eflected by the known practice of using an adsorbent containing no adsorbed gas.

so treated was saturated by the gases in the I gaseous stream passed over it, a current of steam was led through the tube to expel the adsorbed gases. When. the resulting gases were cooled and. the water removed by condensation, a gas was obtained containing 85.5 percent of propylene and 3.5 percent of ethyL ene. The whole of'the olefines may be extracted from the initial gas by placing a second tube filled with dry active carbon in series following the first tube containing the moist carbon.

The advantages of the present invention in effecting a more complete separation than is possible by the known practice is shown by the separation eiiected under the same condi- 1 tions by the same adsorbent containing no adsorbed gas, as the water vapor in the foregoing example. Thus when the same gaseous mixture was passed over dry active carbon, the adsorptive capacity, i. e., the volume of gas taken up per unit volume of carbon, is greater than with the moist carbon, but when the gases are expelled from the saturated car bon, the gaseous mixture was found to contain 68 per centof propylene and 15 per cent of The following is an example of my preethylene. It will be seen, therefore, that a considerably hi her concentration of propylene is obtained 31 the practice of the present invention.

5 As many apparently widely difierent embodiments of this invention may be made without departing from the s irit and scope thereof, it is to be understo that I do not limit myself to the specific embodiments 10 thereof except as defined in the appended claims. a

i I claim:

1. A process for separating ethylene and propylene which comprises bringing the 15 mixed gases into contact with carbon in which water vapor is adsorbed.

, 2. A process for separating ethylene and propylene which comprises bringing the mixed gases into contact with active carbon 30 largely saturated with water vapor, expelling the adsorbed gas with steam, and cooling to condense and separate the water.-

In testimony whereof, I ailix my si ature.

CLIFFORD GWILYM HAfil tIS. 

